Blue Salvia
by The Fifth Dimension
Summary: Despite Paige's future remaining largely uncertain, two simple facts remained - Paige was thinking of Seth, and Seth was thinking of her too.


**Author's Note: Wanted to write a Paige-related story for a bit (I secretly miss her tons). Hope you like!**

* * *

 _ **Blue Salvia**_

* * *

Seth wasn't used to receiving mail - physical, tangible mail. Not an email, or an instant message. Someone had gone through the effort, however minimal it might've been, to send him something through the post office. He couldn't recall the last time his name was plastered on a piece of paper like this, written neatly in perfect cursive, the letters connecting in far too elegant a manner to be addressed to someone of his nature - someone who felt more wrong than right sometimes, someone who had committed plenty of misdeeds. There was no mistaking it though, despite what Seth himself believed.

Who was sending him flowers, however, he couldn't hazard a guess. When a random cameraman, Chuck whatever-his-name-is, handed him a neatly arranged bouquet of flowers, Seth had laughed it off as a joke - maybe Woods enacting his revenge for that cake incident. When said cameraman didn't laugh along with him, Seth shut up, but was still skeptical. Maybe it actually read 'Sasha.' Both of their names started with an 'S,' and it's not like he ever took calligraphy classes anyway. He could simply have misread it. Of course that wasn't the case. These bluish, purple flowers were his and his alone. The only problem was that the sender hadn't left any indication of a name - nothing that Seth could identify, at any rate.

So, here he was. Seth Rollins, by himself backstage, sitting with a dozen or so flowers. He didn't know if this was a low point in his life or just plain embarrassing. How sad must this look to onlookers? He plucked one of the many flowers from the bouquet, twirling it gently between his rugged fingers, ruminating on the nature of this bizarre gift of sorts.

"Well well well, whadda we got over here? A cuppa flowers? A cuppa flowers?"

Seth momentarily ceased his flower twirling, looking upward to see none other than Enzo Amore, flanked by Big Cass, the seven footer nearly casting a shadow over the object of Seth's fascination. "Heh, try two dozen."

"Wow." Cass stared wide-eyed at the sight, the man not shy about showing his state of wonderment. "Got a secret admirer or something?"

"No. Ah, I mean - I don't think so." That thought hadn't crossed Seth's mind. Could this have been from someone pining for his affection? He sincerely doubted it, especially when he took into account the lack of a name or phone number or any other contact information. That wouldn't be the smartest way to get someone to notice you.

"Lemme see those," Enzo stated, pointing a finger to the bouquet. Seth handed them over without a word, allowing the man to inspect them to his heart's content. He seemed to be really entranced by this, something that didn't go unnoticed by Seth who shot a confused look to Cass. The taller man simply shrugged, letting his partner continue to visually absorb the flowers. "Blue salvia. Not my first choice, but they're pretty nice, pretty nice."

Seth sat back in his chair, before letting out an amused chuckle. "Come on. You're telling me you know flowers by name? Enzo Amore, secret botanist?"

"Look, I ain't no 'botanist' - mostly 'cause I don't know what the hell that means." At this, both Seth and Cass rolled their eyes in stereo. "But I do know flowers. It's like a… like a hobby. I'm unique that way - I stick out."

"But rest assured that 'Zo ain't sore."

"That's right. The only thumbs I got are green, baby."

Seth should be used to this - used to their antics, used to their shtick - but this was a little overboard, even for them. Besides, there was no way Enzo Amore of all people actually knew flowers in this much detail. "I don't know, I'm not buying it, man."

"Then allow me to drop some knowledge, if you will." Enzo straightened up, clearing his throat as he did. "Magnolia!" Silence. Seth blinked, wondering what in the world was happening. Enzo stared at Cass expectantly, Cass trying his best to look away.

"No."

"Cass."

"You're joking."

"Cass. I said, 'Mag. No. Li. A.' Be a pal, would ya?"

Cass sighed, looking to the heavens for some kind of moral support, before catering to his friend's whim. "How you doin'…?"

"Oleander!"

"How you doin'?"

"Snapdragon!"

"How you doin'?"

"Blue. Salvia."

"How you doin?"

Somewhere, Seth swore that he heard a crowd chanting along with them. Maybe it was his imagination, a product of having gone insane minutes ago. That was the only explanation for this mess. "So. Blue salvia?"

"That's right."

"That's cool and all, but I have no idea who sent these."

Enzo let out an audible hum, implying that he was deep in thought. Seth had no clue what was going through Enzo's head, and even Cass was a bit bewildered at this point. "You see, here's the thing about plants, 'specially flowers." He handed the flowers back to Seth, who began to wonder if Enzo owned a flower shop back in New Jersey. "They've all got meaning behind them. These right here - blue salvia. Means someone's missing you, my man. Thinking about you everyday. Know anybody like that?"

Seth turned to Cass, who cut him off as he opened his mouth. "Just don't question it."

Seth ran down the list of people in his head that could fit the criteria. A relative? No, a relative wouldn't leave their name out like that. They also wouldn't refer to him by his full name. An old friend, maybe? Seth cringed at the imagery of Dean Ambrose mailing flowers to _anyone_ , let alone Seth. This was tricky, Seth wasn't entirely certain that he even knew anyone that was fond of flowers. Except for maybe one person. A light bulb went off in his head. "Hey, I think I-"

Eager to share his revelation with Enzo and Cass, he almost failed to notice that the two had already taken their leave. He made a mental note to stop spacing out before digging his cell phone out of his pocket. One thumb press away from hitting the 'Call' button, Seth backed out. A video call might be more appropriate, he thought, quickly clicking on the app, selecting his friend's name from his contacts.

One ring. They hadn't spoken in so long that Seth was looking forward to seeing how things were going, how life was going.

Two rings. Seth was having second thoughts. What if it wasn't them that sent the flowers? This had the potential to be awkward. Although, any excuse to talk to them would be acceptable.

Three rings. Yes, he should definitely see this through. There was nobody else. This had to be them. He pressed onward, bracing himself.

The fourth ring never came - they picked up. He was greeted with the smiling, if a bit weary, face of Paige. "Sethy boy! Long time no see."

"You know, if you missed me that much, you didn't have to go through all the trouble of sending me flowers. Could've just called, save yourself a few bucks."

"Aw, but that's no fun! Where's your sense of humor?"

Seth grinned at her, and for a moment, forgot he was supposed to be saying words. He didn't care, he wanted to soak in the sight of Paige. He wanted to burn Paige's face into his brain, wanted to remember it for a long while, because he had no idea when he'd be able to see her in person. He needed the image of her smiling. He needed the image of _her_ to last many more months.

"Seth?"

"Huh?"

"Have I ever told you that you space out a lot?"

"It's a… thing I'm working on." Paige gave him a thumbs up, full of sarcastic intent. When Paige didn't continue the conversation along, Seth decided to make up for his earlier blunder and do it himself. "Do me a favor. Next time you send me something, put your name on it."

At this, Paige looked absolutely stunned, her mouth agape. "What? I didn't- Ugh, dammit! I knew I forgot something. Wait, how did you figure out it was from me then?"

"I know a botanist. Apparently."

"Give him a big ol' hug and kiss from your good buddy Paige then!"

"Yeah, I'll pass on that."

The conversation seemed to lull, with Seth trying his best to extend the call as long as possible. He was mildly surprised that she even answered her phone. He was plenty busy these past few months, finally making his return to the ring after such a long period of time. There was never an off day since his return, and he imagined that Paige was busy with her own rehab as well. "How are you?" he asked, tentatively.

Seth hated that question. 'How are you?' It was such a rehearsed phrase - almost impersonal - that you asked people you hadn't spoken to in a long time. He hated knowing that the last time he and Paige spoke was, in fact, a 'long time' ago. He wished things could be different, that they had the opportunity to speak more often, but that wasn't reality. The reality of the situation was that this was the norm now.

Paige had yet to reply, giving the question an ample amount of time to set in. "I'm honestly doing really well. I know, I know. You probably expected me to be sulking or crying or whatever after everything, but I've got a nice support system, you know?"

Seth knew, and he wouldn't be surprised if the entire world knew by now. News traveled quickly around the internet, gossip and rumors spreading like wildfire, internet articles serving as trees to let the fire grow. "So, is he treating you well? I mean, maybe it's not my place to ask." Seth and Paige both knew that was a lie. Paige was probably the only person he considered a true friend on Raw, and vice versa. If it was anyone's place to ask, it was his.

"Yeah yeah, he's treating me well, _dad_." Seth sent a glare her way, causing her to laugh loudly. "Seriously, Seth. He's been great to me. If anything, he's probably the main reason why I'm not a total mess."

Paige's relationship with Alberto was a strange one, in Seth's mind. They were so far apart in age. Seth had known her for years, since before she became a legal adult, even. To him, this was so foreign, but the important thing was that she was happy, and boy was she ever happy. He'd never seen her eyes sparkle this way, never heard her voice sound so giddy. Paige was never a good liar, and if she said she was feeling good, he was inclined to believe her. "Hey, if you're happy, then that's what counts. You've got my support too."

"Thank you for being so understanding, really. That means the world to me."

"No problem. And your neck?"

"Feeling neck-like."

"Paige."

"It's fine, it's fine. A bit sore, but manageable. It'll be good as new in a few weeks."

"That's what I like to hear. When you get back, all the people that doubted you are going to feel so stupid."

" _If_ I come back, I'll definitely make sure they eat their words."

There it was. The moment of dread that Seth had actively tried to avoid had finally arrived, the word 'if' instantly making his heart break. He knew, of course he knew, that Paige's status in the WWE was up in the air, but to hear it directly from the source was basically a confirmation that the rumors and the speculation were true. He didn't want them to be true. He wanted Paige to come back to Raw so that they could continue their friendship, a friendship that was probably never meant to exist in the first place. But it did exist, and it was beautiful.

"Seth?"

"Huh?"

"Have I ever told you-"

"I space out too much. I got it, alright?"

"No. That I miss you? Because I do. I miss you more than I can say."

If his heart hadn't broken before, it was shattered to pieces now. "I miss you too. Take care of yourself. If you ever need anything, I'm around."

"I'll keep that in mind, definitely. And _you_ stay out of trouble, mister. I can't dye your hair for you if you get your head knocked off by a sledgehammer."

"I won't let it get that far, trust me. The man's always ready."

The two exchanged a matching pair of looks with each other, Paige the first to break the silence. "It's that time, isn't it?"

"Seems that way, unfortunately."

"Well, I'll see you when I see you, Sethy boy."

"See you when I see you."

With one final wave from Paige - Was that a tear Seth saw? - the woman ended the call, the screen of Seth's phone going completely dark. Slipping the device back into his pocket, Seth had to stop and think about how bittersweet the whole conversation was. On one hand, he was beyond dejected, knowing that he might not ever see his good friend backstage again. He might not ever see her in the ring again. He might not ever grab coffee on the road with her again, or point out just how stupid Jericho's scarf was, or punch each other in the arm every time they saw a black car. The intimate aspects of their friendship would be all but gone forever.

On the other hand, however, their friendship was very much alive. There was always room for impromptu flights, always room for impromptu coffee. If it came down to it, they could make this work. They had to, because between all of their spoken words lied all of the unspoken words. How much Seth truly needed her was left unknown to Paige. Walking over to the parking lot, Seth found himself grinning like an idiot. Despite Paige's future remaining largely uncertain, two simple facts remained.

Paige was thinking of Seth, and Seth was thinking of her too.

 _ **End**_


End file.
